Toward the Development of a Regional Strategy to Respond to Gangs in the Caribbean

1. Toward the Development of a Regional Strategy to Respond to Gangs in the Caribbean Charles M. Katz, Ph.D. Arizona State University Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety School of Criminology & Criminal Justice Second Special Meeting on Criminal Gangs: Toward a Regional Strategy to Promote Inter-American Cooperation Washington DC March 2, 2010

2. Ready, Fire, Aim…The typical solution to gang problems

4. Project Timeline Dec. 2003 Giuliani and Partners submit proposal for reducing crime and transforming the Police Service Mar. 2004 Ministry of National Security rejects Giuliani proposal Dec. 2004 GMU submits proposal for transforming the Police Service. Feb. 2005 Unexpected meeting with Minister of National Security leads to development of crime reduction proposal. Aug. 2005 First crime reduction contract awarded ($1.2 million). Jan. 2007 Second crime reduction contract awarded ($3.4 million). Jan. 2009 CJA receives third contract for training and on-site coaching ($1.1 million)

5. Diagnosing Gang Problems How we learn about gangs affects how we understand them We must understand gangs, to know how to respond effectively to them Triangulation helps us understand the problem and develop effective responses

6. Trends in homicides by weapon type: 1999 – 2008 Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety

7. Trinidad and Tobago: Pioneers in the Caribbean Gang Expert Survey Developed as part of the Eurogang research program Surveyed gang experts in all TT station districts Besson Street Gang Intelligence, Criminal History Project Non-gang sample (n=878) Gang sample (n=368) Network analysis of Homicides

8. TT: Pioneers in the Caribbean, Cont. Trinidad and Tobago Youth Survey (TTYS) Adapted from the Social Development Research Group, Communities that Care, TT Peace Programme. Surveyed approximately 4,000 students, Forms 4 thru 6. Trinidad Arrestee Project Survey (TAPS) Based on the DUF/ADAM Interviewed 421 recently booked adult arrestees Trinidad Detention Survey (TDS) Interviewed about 60 adult detainees Moving forward with juvenile detainees

9. Prevalence of Gangs & Gang Members Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety

10. Expert Survey 95 gangs 1,269 gang members 25.8% formed before 2000 74.2% formed between 2000-2006 TTYS 30% of youth are at-risk for gang involvement 7.1% gang associates 6% current gang members 6.7% former gang members Number of gangs and gang members in TT

11. Gang Concentration by District

13. Gang Expert Survey About 83% are African, 13% are East Indian No female dominated gangs About 87% are comprised of adults TTYS About 42% are African, 21.7% are East Indian, and 11.6% are Afro/Indian 41% of gang members are female. 43.5% are 16 yrs. old + Composition of Gangs in TT

14. Criminal Involvement of Gangs Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety

15. Criminal Involvement of TT Gangs: Expert Survey Frequent use of alcohol, drug use, and drug sales/trafficking High levels of armed violence: Two-thirds involved in fights with rival groups Experts emphasized that gangs most frequently involved in: drug sales/trafficking, robbery, firearms activity (i.e., homicides, shootings), organized fraud

20. Diagnosing Institutional Capacity to Control Gangs and Gang Crime

21. Homicide clearance rates: 1988-2008

22. Homicide Investigator Experience

23. Firearms Cases at the Forensic Science Centre Submitted Unprocessed *Black line indicates cumulative number of firearms cases submitted. *Red line indicates cumulative number of unprocessed firearms cases.

25. Resident perceptions, behaviors, and beliefs • 86% of residents reported hearing gunshots in their neighborhood at least once in the past 30 days • Only 7% of the residents who heard gunshots in the past 30 days reported them to the police • 71% of residents “strongly agree” that people who report crimes committed by gang members to the police are likely to experience retaliation by gang members • 77% stated that the police did not respond quickly when people ask them for help Source: Gonzales IMPACT Fact Sheet, 2006

26. Gang’s role in informal social control within the community (examples) • “Gangs bring down crime. They instituted a community court that meets weekly where young males are punished and give strokes…. One to two local councilors have gone to the courts to observe their practice” • “Gangs are the first one’s to respond to crime, the police are incompetent, they take too long and never finish the work. If you go to the gang leader you know they will take care of you.” • If you live in a community where there is gang cohesion you are more safe because they [protect you.]…Gangs provide safety, create jobs,… give people food, give mothers milk for their baby’s.”

27. Summary: Mechanisms of Formal Social Control are Broken • Lack of responsiveness to public • Public/jurors do not trust the police • Lack of training • Lack of investigative capacity • Lack of evidence processing capacity • Police-prosecutors lack experience

28. Responses Suppression Prevention Establishment of the Violence Prevention Academy (VPA) 25 high risk schools Training in SARA model Implement violence reduction project in each school. Anticipated completion date for 1st round June 2010 • Creation of a homicide unit • Training • Creation of a crime analysis unit • Training (completion date 6/10) • Unit coach • Creation of a gang/ROP unit • Certification training (completion date 6/10) • Unit coach • Operation project involving the above units & firearms unit and organized crime unit Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety

29. Organization of American States Antigua & Barbuda Pilot Project Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety

30. Antigua & BarbudaNumber of Homicides: 1994-2008 Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety

31. Homicides in Antigua from 2006-2007 (n=29) Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety

32. Motives of Homicides in Antigua, 2006-2007 Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety

33. Homicides in Antigua by Weapon Type, 2006-2007 Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety

34. Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety

35. Composition of gangs • 85% mostly male or all male • Youngest member is about 14 • 42% 16-18 years old • 50% 19-25 years old • 43% have 11-20 members • 50% have 21-50 members Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety

36. Characteristics of gangs • All have a name • 87% hang out in public areas • 66% have turf • 73% have symbols (e.g., clothing) • 20% of gangs support a political issue Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety

37. Gang behavior • Illicit activity is accepted • Often engages in alcohol and drug use • 53% frequently get into fights with other gangs. • Regularly involved in larceny, robbery, street level drug trafficking, battery/wounding. Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety

38. Unique problems call for unique responses Trinidad Antigua Emerging gang problem Low # of gang homicides Small # of gang members Many of the gangs are NOT involved in violence • Chronic gang problem • High # of gang homicides • Large # of gang members • Age of gang members varies from young to old • Many of the gangs are involved in violence Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety

39. Healthy Community Pyramid

40. Recent A&B Activities • Two days of task force training • Two days of educator training • 1/2 day of strategic planning Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety

41. Forthcoming A&B Activities • Formal establishment of a steering committee • Conduct a thorough gang assessment • Conduct assessment of capacity to respond to gang problem • Implementation of a national response to gangs based on strategic problem solving (i.e., SARA). Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety

42. Proposal: OAS Caribbean-Wide Gang Project • Gang assessment to be conducted in six Caribbean nations • National gang-task forces establish • Training • Strategic planning • Program implementation • Develop Caribbean gang surveillance system (OAS, UWI-Mona, ASU, others) Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety

43. Six County Caribbean Gang Assessment • Gang homicide trends • Gang expert survey (police & schools) • Student survey on gangs • Survey on capacity to respond to gangs Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety

44. Purpose of Gang Assessments & Surveillance Systems • Identify scope and nature of local problems • Local data motivates local actions • Helps determine funding • Tailor interventions to specific needs • Evaluate interventions Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety